1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for styling hair such as rollers or curlers and, more particularly, to such devices that are provided with ceramic material components that emit ions in concentrations that enhance or improve hair characteristics.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known in the art that delivering ions or ionically charged molecules to a person's hair provides benefits including the removal of undesirable static charge that naturally occurs in hair. Furthermore, it is believed that ions purify by removing particles present in the environment. Various hair care and hair styling implements exist such as hair dryers and heated brushes that comprise an ion generator that emits ions in response to electrical energy or heat. For example, known hair dryers and heat brushes contain a metallic node system that delivers ions into the stream of flowing air within the dryer when voltage is applied to the node. Other examples include hair driers that have a ceramic radiator positioned adjacent to a heater such that heat applied to the ceramic causes ions to emit and heat radiates from the ceramic.
The use of ceramic coatings in flat irons for straightening hair, as well as curling irons and other devices that contact the hair, is commonly known to provide desirable heat distribution, heat retention, and heat transfer characteristics that evenly, efficiently and predictably deliver heat to hair in comparison to non-coated metals.
Such known devices are suitable for but limited to hair styling techniques that require blow drying or brushing. No known device exists which enables the known benefits of ion delivery to be implemented with rollers or curlers. In order to achieve such an effect, it would be necessary to set one's hair with rollers and then utilize an ion-emitting blow dryer. This would require one to purchase a special ion-emitting blow dryer rather than to use a long-existing ordinary blow dryer.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a roller or curler that has ion-emitting characteristics so that it could be used with any conventional hair dryer, either blow-dryer or bonnet dryer. It is also desirable to provide a roller or curler with a ceramic-coating or containing ceramic particles in order to produce superior characteristics of heat transfer, distribution and retention.
These and other objects are achieved by the present invention described herein.